DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE 259 



Treatment. — In a very light case of the disease, if in the 

 spring and the animal is able to lower his head and eat grass, 

 it is best to leave him out in a level pasture field where there 

 is nothing to disturb him. Do not go near him to give 

 medicine, but watch him to see that nothing unexpected turns 

 up. Catching a wild colt in the pasture to give medicine only 

 excites him so much that it does more harm than good. All 

 kinds of treatments have been tried, but the best is to give, as 

 soon as the disease is detected, a dose of physic consisting of 



Bitter Aloes 8 drams. 



Bicarbonate of Soda 1 dessertspoonful. 



Ginger 1 dessertspoonful. 



Sweet Spirits of Nitre 1 ounce or 4 dessertspoonfuls. 



Mix in a pint of lukewarm water and give as a drench, 

 being careful not to unduly excite him while giving it. 

 Should it be caused by a nail in the foot, pare the hole out 

 well and poultice with hot linseed poultices, changing them 

 often to keep them hot. Keep the foot poulticed until there 

 is relief. If from a wound bathe well with lukewarm water 

 three or four times a day, and paint with fluid extract of 

 belladonna after each bathing. Keep him in a comfortable 

 stable, free from noise or anything that will excite him, as 

 perfect quietness is necessary in treating tins- disease. Give 

 one dram, or one teaspoonful, of fluid extract of. belladonna 

 on the tongue with a spoon three times a day, and feed soft, 

 easily masticated food, such as gruels of chop stuff containing 

 boiled flaxseed. Make the gruel thin so that he can drink it. 

 If in the spring give him grass, at other seasons scald the hay 

 and make it as soft and easy to eat as possible. It generally 

 takes from three weeks to thirty days for the disease to run 

 its course. It is best not to rely too much on medicin* , for it 

 takes time. Good nursing is better than medicine, and as a 

 general rule before the end of the third week there are signs 

 of improvement. 



